MISSOULA – Leading experts, government officials, business leaders and civic officials from Montana, the United States and Asia will meet at the University of Montana on Wednesday and Thursday, April 29-30, to discuss complex issues surrounding the future of energy and how it shapes our global economy, environment and society.

UM’s Mansfield Center will host the 2015 annual conference, “The Asia-Montana Energy Summit,” during which experts will lead two days of plenary and breakout sessions that are free and open to the public.

Space is limited, and early bird registration is available Feb.18-March 18 at http://www.umt.edu/mansfield/events/conference/. Attendees who register early will receive access to advance registration for limited-seating breakout sessions, early bird parking during the conference and a chance to win an invitation to an April 29 private dinner reception with conference speakers and Lt. Gov. Angela McLean.

Energy enables our lives, from the cars we drive to the computers and smartphones that connect us to the world. In Montana, energy opens the doors for new economic opportunities in fossil and renewable energy sources and affords our state stronger international ties with trade partners in Asia. Additionally, we must balance these opportunities with the impacts to our environment.

Local and international experts will address these issues and more through plenary sessions such as “The Current State of the U.S.” and “International Energy Markets,” “Dynamics and Trends in the Asia Energy Markets and Economics,” “The Geopolitics of Energy,” “The Importance of Financing in Shaping the Energy Future” and “The Future of Montana’s Energy.” Breakout sessions will include “Technology Advancements in Oil and Gas,” Innovation in Renewable Energy,” “Native American Energy Resources in Montana,” “The Future of Fuel Cells and Energy Storage,” “Smart Grids and Transmission,” “The Federal and State Regulatory Nexus,” “Energy Efficiency” and “Carbon Sequestration.”

The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center at UM promotes better understanding of Asia, U.S. relations with Asia and ethics in public affairs in the spirit of Sen. Mike Mansfield (1903-2001) and his wife and life partner, Maureen Hayes Mansfield. The center houses programs that focus on the peoples and cultures of modern Asia and ethics in public affairs – the core interests and hallmarks of Sen. Mansfield’s career.